Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Taylor County, Texas. The population of the city is 117,063. The city is home to Dyess Air Force Base, which is also its biggest employer, and Abilene serves as the major regional hub of Midwest Texas. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 60.19% White (70,460) 26.42% Hispanic or Latino (30,928) 9.56% Black or African American (11,191) 3.83% Other (4,484) 14.9% (17,442) of Abilene residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Abilene's theft and murder rates are way above average in comparison to the surrounding area. The city reported 49 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 8.46 murders a year. Pokemon See the Taylor County page for more info. Fun facts * In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco Junior College was located in the city in 1990. * Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University and a campus of Cisco College are located in Abilene, along with the main campus of Abilene State Battle Academy. * The cultural aspects of Abilene center around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and the numerous evangelical churches present. The Abilene Arts Alliance captured the essence of the city with "Frontiering", a brand name for the city introduced in November 2008 to connect its pioneer spirit with its modern efforts to push the boundaries of education, technology, transportation, energy, the arts, and health care. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, The Abilene Philharmonic, The Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, Taylor County Coliseum, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU). * A few events of note take place in Abilene: ** The West Texas Fair and Rodeo, held annually for 10 days in mid-September, features exhibits and amusements reflecting early days of Abilene, plus modern attractions of West Texas. ** The Western Heritage Classic in early May features ranch rodeo, campfire cook-off, sheepdog trials, farrier competition, cowboy poets, a Western art show, and many other activities. ** On every second Thursday evening of the month, Artwalk is held in downtown Abilene. During Artwalk, all the local museums are free, local musicians and performers busk, and several crafters and artists set up booths and sell their wares. ** Several special-interest conventions, festivals, and shows are scattered throughout the year, including the Abilene Gem and Mineral Show, the West Texas Book and Music Festival, the Abilene Gun and Knife Show, and the Friends of the Abilene Public Library book sale. ** Also of note is the annual Abilene High vs. Cooper High football game, the Crosstown Showdown, usually held near Halloween. Two of these games, in 2001 and 2002, were for the district championship and were called the "Showdown at Shotwell" as games were played at Shotwell Stadium. * Local TV stations in Abilene include KRBC 9 (NBC), KTXS 12 (ABC), KXVA 15 (FOX), KTAB 32 (CBS) and KTES-LD 40 (MeTV). * Abilene Regional Airport is located on the southeast side of the city. Currently, it is only served by American Airlines with a regional flight back and forth to Dallas/Fort Worth. * Abilene is the birthplace of Lee Roy Parnell. * Abilene has a lot more amenities to offer in comparison to the surrounding area. a lot of big name retail chains, fast food, hotel/motel and chain restaurants, along with Solstice Apparel, some contest halls and showcase theaters, a country club, a zoo, Taylor County Expo Center, Mall of Abilene, Shops at Abilene and some other shopping centers, plenty of local restaurants and businesses, plenty of public battle fields, electric showers, some sports complexes, Firehouse Bar & Grill, Armando's Mexican Food, Szechuan, China Star, Farolito, Pappy Slokum Brewery, Sockdolager Brewing Co., Sharon's BBQ & Catering, Cal Young Disc Golf Park, a country club, Catfish Corner, Mary's Paleteria, Will Hair Park, Mi Ranchito Burrito & Tortilla Factory, AM Donuts & Croissants, and some other things. Category:Texas Cities